Yes, Durango start in 2015!  How about Sunday, 7/26 @ 4am in front of Velorution Cycles just like last year? 

Full moon is 7/31, so there will be more and more light as the race goes on. Based on feedback this year, an earlier start date seems better for a lot of folks, especially the teachers in the bunch.  Plus there is a bit more light. 4am start to 1.) get up and over Indian Trail ridge ASAP, and 2.) allow projected sub-5ish day finishers to resupply in Silverton before 8pm.  There is almost always a 1 week minimal monsoon window at the end of July and early August, but my trackrecord for picking it isn't so great.  There were a couple years we nailed it, but it is really a crap shoot.

Comments, discussion?

[If your name is in bold, that means you've given me your actual finish time, thank you!]

Collecting and tabulating results here, and they will be cross listed on my website as well.  If your name is in bold, that means you've given me your actual finish time, thank you! If you are not in bold, the time listed is from trackleaders or whatever I could figure out, and please post if it needs correcting.  ITT'ers, please post up here as it is difficult to decipher your start/finish time to give you an accurate result.

I also like to link people's trip-reports or photo-blogs or ramblings or whatever to their name, so feel free to give me links and I will do so.

Group Start, Denver to Durango
4:09:55 - Neil Beltchenko
*5:11:14 - Tim Lutz
*5:11:50 - Christian McCarthy
6:00:09 - Bryan Klahn
6:07:05 - Dave Stewart
6:12:?? - Garrett Alexander
6:13:27 - Robert Orr
6:14:12 - Chris Kampsnider
6:22:56 - Rick Miller
8:08:56 - Mark Caminiti
8:15:29 - Cullen Barker
9:11:08 - Norb DeKerchove
10:12:48 - Jeffrey Taylor
11:12:00 - Jim Reed, Rich Mattson


* Unfortunately, Tim and Christian missed the 2-3 miles of Jarosa Mesa on Segment 22. Same spot that Ethan and Owen spent time exploring in '09, and that Scott missed last year. Perhaps there are STILL a couple of CT markers along that old jeep road. (!?!) We gotta tear those out so this doesn't keep happening?

ITT, Denver to Durango
12:09:59 - Jim Leikert

ITT, Durango to Denver

I think Bryan's Spot may be tracking as Dave Stewart. I know he was barely in front of me at Searle Pass & Mt. Elbert Trailhead. I don't remember meeting Dave out there or in the group with us that was heading out of Leadville.

Checking the splits... the Dave Stewart splits jive exactly with what I would expect to see for Bryan Klahn.

I apologize if I am wrong but it really looks like Bryan Klahn is tracking as Dave Stewart.

There is a possible mix-up that I am trying to pin down.  I've been in touch with Dave, and he confirmed the # on his rental SPOT, but it is possible that the backs of the units got switched in the early morning hours of the start when we were putting new batteries in the Trace units.  Can you further confirm Bryan or Dave's position?

Thanks,
Stefan

Are CM and TL really making that wrong turn on Jarosa Mesa?

Ahhhh, dang it!

I did just notice that some riders are following the error in the old GPX, which suggests that they didn't load the latest version of the track. Oops.

Whether there are consequences, that'll be up to Stefan.

My vote (not that I really have any say) is to count either route as acceptable this year. While people should have been paying better attention to Stefan's site, the GPX was changed pretty late in the game. The penalty for their inattention is having to climb up that hill--which seems sufficiently punitive.

For the record, either is absolutely fine.  It's the detour, not the trail after all!

Stefan,

For the Leadville detour, are sticking to hwy 24 through the town like in the databook?  IIRC there was a different detour last year that didn't go through the middle of town but I'm having trouble finding that discussion.  Can you please clarify?

When I posted the link to Toby's .gpx file I inadvertently removed the link to the hand-drawn Leadville detour. I just put it back up.  Either way is acceptable. Sorry about all this last minute stuff everyone.

-Stefan

 

If the BE racers know about it ahead of time then maybe it will be a positive and not negative? I know at least some of them realize the overlap.

I hope so. Get the word out if you can!

Looks like the Breck Epic starts Sunday. Racers will be on the CT around Breckenridge Monday and Tuesday. Prob when most CT Racers get to this area. It looks like they will be traveling in the same direction on the trail. Just to let you know...

Dang.  My apologies to CTR racers for this. I didn't realize they were overlapping.  :-(

[CTR follows the dirt through the railroad tunnels.]

Speaking of the bible, the official CTR web site says for the Collegiate Peaks detour we go:

"Left for 3 mi. on Clear Creek Road, right for 5.9 mi. on US-24, left on Rd-371 for 10 mi. on old railroad grade to B.V. Right on Main...etc."

Is it okay to continue on US 24 to main and then turn right, skipping the gravel road section? Guide book says it is acceptable, but don't know if it is CTR acceptable. Speed limit is 55, but shoulder is 6 feet wide.

Ah, mistake in the guidebook then!  CTR follows the dirt through the railroad tunnels.  Old versions of the guidebook also indicated this, but I do not have the newest one, so perhaps it changed.

[Last Call on Rental SPOTs is tomorrow (8/6)!!]

Last Call on Rental SPOTs is tomorrow (8/6)!!

Trackleaders will ship all the rentals to me and I will hand them out at the race start on Sunday. If you are renting one, don't forget to bring your own batteries!

Thanks for the gentle reminder, Toby. 

Yes, staying on Park 39 seems to make more sense, so let's do that.  Not sure how it ended up the other way in the first place.

I'll link in Toby's .gpx files to the CTR page when he's ready.

-Stefan

I'll have to take a look as well, but the intent is definitely NOT to take a longer, harder route there, so the GPX track may be in error.

Also, since Toby spends so much time and energy maintaining his .gpx track, I do intend to make it the official version for the CTR. Assuming he's OK with that, which I have a feeling he is... 

About a month out ya'll! Monsoon season in SW Colorado has been in full swing for the last week, so hopefully after a month we'll get a reprieve.

If you want a SPOT tracker or want to add yours to the trackleader webpage, go here:  http://trackleaders.com/ctr-signup

The 2013 results are not complete. I finished in 10d5h?? min and I know others finished after Cullen Barker.

Thanks, Mark.  So sorry I forgot to include your finish!!  If anyone else reads this and is missing from the results, please PM or email me your time!!

Thanks guys!  It still needs more in prep for the 2014 race though.  Always a work in progress...

Looks like the Breck Epic race is looking to again use part of Segment 6, this year on August 11, 2014.  Could this create issues for mid-to late-packers on their Day 2?

Ah, thanks for the heads up! Do you know if they close the trail to other riders during the Breck Epic?  If yes, the we definitely need to move the CTR...

Dang!  Was hoping for Durango just because already done it Den-Dur twice and I would have a free ride to Durango that weekend for a friend's Telluride Mountain Run.

Current plan of the moment is to alternate each year.  Start in Durango on the odd years.

August 10?  Is that set in stone? 

Pretty stoney... A bit late, but it coincides with the full moon.  We could certainly change it if there is an overwhelming consensus here though.

Is the start going to be Denver or Durango for 2014?

Denver --> Durango for 2014.  6am Start on Sunday, 8/10 from Waterton Canyon. Tarry-all Detour.  Hoping to get the webpage back up soon...

[you]

The CTR popularity only seems to increase each year, so if you don't intend to go into it as a race, I would recommend that you do NOT start with the group. I say this for two reasons: 1.) it is a race, which means go as fast as you can go. Sure, this may not be competitive with the guys/gals up front, but will likely be competitive with any number of other racers, and 2.) keeping other trail users happy as the trail is pretty concentrated with CTR riders for the first 30 miles

As the organizer of the CTR, and thus the point of contact for most people's complaints, it seems the #1 comment is somewhat of a gripe that "Wow, there sure are a lot of CTR riders."  I personally feel that everyone has a right to use and share the trail, and no one should expect or feel entitled to have the trail to themselves. However, if you are a trail user on that first 30 miles before the racers get spread out, I can understand how it feels a bit crowded and maybe even annoying.  Of course for perspective, visit Kenosha pass on a weekend in September where the numbers are double or triple that of CTR riders...